With all of the excitement surrounding the supercharged 2021 Ram 1500 TRX, the team at Autoline After Hours got a chance to sit down and talk with Jeff Roselli, Ram TRX Model Responsible (the man in charge of the TRX program) to discuss the RAM brand’s newest performance off-roader. The TRX is one of the important missing pieces of the puzzle for the RAM brand to go after the Ford Motor Company and its F-Series pickups for the top spot in pickup sales.
During the program, the hosts discuss the challenges, the triumphs, and why exactly it took so long to bring the TRX to market to compete against the Ford F-150 Raptor. Rated at 702 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque, RAM claims that the TRX is the quickest, fastest, and most powerful mass-produced pickup in the world. The TRX can go 0 to 60 mph in a blistering 4.5-seconds, can do the quarter-mile in 12.9-seconds @ 108 mph, and a top speed of 118 mph.
The 2021 Ram TRX uses an all-new rear suspension system with active damping and an exclusive five-link coil system for incredible ride characteristics and durability. The frame’s hardpoints for the five-link suspension system differ when compared to a standard-issue Ram 1500 and allow the Dana 60 rear axle to travel up to 13-inches. Overall, rear-wheel travel is increased to more than 13-inches from the standard 9-inches, or more than 40% when compared to the rest of the Ram 1500 lineup.
The 2021 Ram TRX uses the proven five-link coil suspension configuration and provides better articulation over obstacles than a leaf-spring system. This suspension design reduces friction in the spring system and weighs significantly less than a comparable leaf spring system. At 600 millimeters in length, the robust rear springs are the largest ever applied on a non-commercial production vehicle.
The 2021 Ram TRX is being built at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP) in Sterling Heights, Michigan. It will be arriving in showrooms in the fourth quarter of 2020. For more information on the Ram 1500 TRX, you can visit 5thGenRams.com’s dedicated TRX section and discuss the vehicle in the 5thGenRams.com Owners Forums.
